Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum levels of selenium, zinc and copper on the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents.

Methods: Forty four idiopathic scoliosis patients between 10 and 17 years of age were considered in this study. The vertebra curvature degrees of the patients were between 28° and 82°. The idiopathic scoliosis patients were assigned to two groups based on their vertebra curvature degrees. Curvature degree of 45° and lower was labeled as group 1 and curvature of upper 45° was labeled as group 2. Total blood count, serum levels of selenium, zinc and copper were studied.

Results: Thirty three of the idiopathic scoliosis patients (75%) were female. There was no statistically significant difference in serum zinc and copper levels between idiopathic scoliosis patients and the control group (p> 0.05). Serum selenium levels in idiopathic scoliosis patients were lower than that of the control group and the difference was statistically significant (p< 0.05). In terms of vertebra curvature degree and demographic characteristics of the patients, group 2 age average was significantly higher than that of the group 1 (p< 0.05). When serum selenium, zinc, and copper levels were compared based on the vertebra curvature degrees of the IS patients, no statistically significant difference was observed between group 1 and 2 in laboratory measurements (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Among the measured trace elements, selenium was lower in the serum of the IS patients. This is the first study in Turkey that we know of about this subject and we think that further studies are needed.